Chapleau on national sports championship map as Doug Hong curls and Jason Ward plays hockey

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Chapleau has been on the national sports map in hockey and curling from Whitehorse, NWT to Dundas, ON, in 2014 as Doug Hong and Jason Ward were members of winning teams.

Doug was the lead on the Northern Ontario bronze medal winning team at the Canadian Senior Curling Championship while Jason played for the Dundas Real McCoys who won the Allan cup, emblematic of senior hockey supremacy in Canada since 1908.

Jason and Charlie

Doug, of course, for the few who may not know him, is from Chapleau, a member of the Hong family, outstanding athletes all. His grandfather established the Boston Cafe now the Redwood which is still in the family operated by his father Jim.

Doug has also been a great hockey player and golfer over the years.

As an aside, Doug played on the last hockey team I coached in Chapleau.

When I learned from Doug's cousin Kim that he would be playing in a national curling championship I contacted him.

Doug replied: "The team that represented N.O. last year did not fare so well therefore, we have to go up there early to play in the relegation round.  Double knock out, four teams for two spots. Hope to get through that and play in the round robin Championship."

That proved to be an understatement, according to a Sudbury Star story by Bruce Heldman who wrote: "The Northern Ontario reps won bronze the hard way, playing a possible record 16 games at a national event after three pre-qualifying games, 11 round-robin games, a tiebreaker and a semifinal, all in nine days."

Doug

Doug also won the Most Sportsmanlike Player Award.

“You only have to be around Doug for a short while and you have a smile on your face,” Robbie Gordon one of his teammates told the Sudbury Star. “He keeps the atmosphere light and shoots well and sweeps like a dog and has a great eye for the stone and what it is doing and has physical strength unmatched in any senior curling I have seen. It is important to have someone like that on your team.”

“Doug has been to five Canadian events and that is the third time he has won the sportsmanship award, and that is voted on by the players, so that tells you everything,” Ron Henderson added in the Sudbury Star story.

Turning to Jason Ward and the Allan Cup, Charlie Purich kept me informed on the series played in Dundas where he lives.

After the Real McCoys defeated the Kenora Thistles in the semi final game, Charlie sent me an email, "Jason Ward got one goal and three assists."

Born in Chapleau, Jason played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens and other professional teams. Charlie, who worked as a volunteer at the Allan Cup, had met Jason earlier -- although they did not know each other in Chapleau. Small world!

Charlie still plays hockey and for about 50 years he has been the "catalyst" wherever he played -- and as a volunteer at the Allan Cup too.

In the final game against Clarenville Caribous from Newfoundland and Labrador, the Real McCoys won their first ever Allan cup with a 3-2 overtime win.

Charlie and Ray

Charlie's final sports bulletin: "Ray Larcher, my grandson Finn and I watched Jason and the Real McCoys win the Allan Cup in a thrilling overtime to defeat a strong team from Newfoundland."

Ray, who was a hockey star in Chapleau playing for the Chapleau Junior "B" and Intermediate "A" Huskies had sent me a message on Facebook that he would be there.

Ray "cool" as always

Congratulations to Doug Hong and Jason Ward on their success, and thanks to Charlie Purich and Ray Larcher. That old saying was never truer: "You can take the boy out of Chapleau, but you can't take Chapleau out of the boy".  My email is mj.morris@live.ca

PHOTO CREDIT

2014 Canadian Senior Curling Championships Sportsmanship Awards: Doug Hong (NO) and Catherine Derick (QC) (Photo James MacKenzie) from Canadian Senior Curling

SEE ALSO ICE TIME WITH JASON AND CHARLIE http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.ca/2014/03/ice-time-in-dundas-as-charlie-purich.html

 

Ice time in Dundas as Charlie Purich and Jason Ward involved in Allan Cup hockey championship

The winner of the 2014 Allan Cup will be decided in Dundas, Ontario in 2014 and two Chapleau boys will be involved.

 

The Allan Cup, a part of Canada's history since 1890 is the Canadian Men's Senior AAA Hockey Championship.

 

Charlie Purich, known as the "catalyst" of the Chapleau High School hockey team in the 1960s when Dr. Karl A. Hackstetter was principal, who then played at Laurentian University, and for numerous teams in Dundas over the years where he lives will be a volunteer.

 

And Jason Ward, who was born in Chapleau on January 26, 1979, and went on to play in the Ontario Hockey League, National Hockey League and American Hockey League is winding down his career playing for the Dundas Real McCoys who will be participating in the Allan Cup.

 

Jason started his NHL career after he was picked by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, 11th overall in the 1997 draft. He also played for the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning. While playing in the AHL in 2002-2003 he won the Les Cunningham Award as Most Valuable Player.

 

Jason had the remarkable distinction of scoring his first NHL goal on his first shot, in his first game in Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers on December 3, 1999.

 

He also played on Canada's Silver Medal team in the World Championship in 1999.

 

Interestingly, from 1968 to 1971, Charlie played for the Dundas Triple Intermediate 'A" team, and now another Chapleau boy is there playing in the Allan Cup competition. Charlie says Jason is "a stalwart" on this year's team, and they met recently -- both born in Chapleau but not knowing each other.

 

"The chat about Chapleau was wonderful," Charlie said.

 

Charlie was in touch  by email to tell me the news, and shared some Chapleau hockey memories. Charlie paid tribute to Keith 'Buddy' Swanson for his encouragement about hockey and life.  He continues to play in two leagues near his home in Ancaster and still enjoys pulling off the "Buddy Swanson Taught" move--"deke to the left and whatever happens!!!"

 

Chapleau players from back in the day will understand what happens after the deke to the left.

 

Charlie added that any time any time one gets to talk about hockey in Chapleau, one gets the "nostalgic feeling" of "having played with Earle (Freeborn), Buddy (Swanson), Zeno (Andre Rioux), Dave Futhey, the Mizuguchi's (Roger, Mark, David), the Bignucolo boys (Albert, Eddy, Joey) and many, many more."  I have added full names where needed.

 

Even when Charlie would return home and watch hockey he never failed to be impressed with the similarity between J.C. Cyr and Reggie Sonego doing their "end=to-end crowd standing rushes". Great comparison Charlie!

 

Charlie's email continued. "Playing Intermediate hockey in Southern Ontario casts a comparison to any of the Intermediate teams from Chapleau. They would be great matches, even today. Talking about hockey in Chapleau reminds us of what's important, like heading to the old Chapleau Arena to play at 6:00 am at 30 below or trying to dodge the 3 inch cracks on the natural ice that was the base for the skills we learned about hockey."

 

Jason's parents are Steve and Irene (Fortin) Ward. His grandfather Bill Ward was manager of the Royal Bank in Chapleau from 1970 to 1975.

 

Charlie and Jason will both be at the Allan Cup. If you are in the Dundas area from April 14 to 19, try to stop by and chat with about "ice time" with two Chapleau boys. Thanks for the memories Charlie and all the best Jason at the Allan Cup.  My email is mj.morris@live.cau